Hello: Abby Ramirez (SB)

The last of three for the 2014 SB Recruiting Class is 5-4 infielder Abby Ramirez. She Hails from Chicago's Trinity High School. She is a switch-hitting lead-off hitter. This is a rare combination. From the left side, she is a slap hitter. From the right side she is a pure power hitter. So she can adapt to whatever the situation is and what is needed from her.

Her high school junior statistics are:.555 average, and delivering 76 hits, 12 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs, 39 RBI, 62 runs scored and 41 stolen bases: all from the lead-off position. Abby will contend for the lead-off spot. Now that Bree is gone, I would expect Coach Hutch to move Collie up to the #1 spot this spring then bring Abby in next year.

Abby is a two-time Chicago Tribune first-team all-state selection. She led her summer team, Beverly Bandits Gold, to several major tourney wins. Coach Hutch just keeps the hits coming.

Her high school coach said, "she has unbelievable range and a gun for an arm." This pick up will certainly be a major boost for us. We need to shore up the middle of the infield. Amy and Ashley will graduate this spring so we need to fill these infield positions.

She was recruited by DePaul, Northwestern, Illinois, Loyola, Indiana and North Carolina. Her goal is to make a trip to the NCAA World Series and she thought Michigan was her best option.

Welcome to the family Abby. We are happy that you chose to be a part of something special. Good luck with your studies and have some fun. You might have heard that we have a fairly good football team with a large fanbase. Our men's basketball team isnt to shabby either, so check them out if you get a chance. We look forward to seeing you next fall in Traverse City, and Go Blue!

What ever happened to Hutch recruiting her own backyard and signing the top Michigan girls?. You of all people know the high level of talent in Michigan. I know she'll get a few California girls here and there. I get that. But whats with all the out of state midwesteners?

Or was this just a down year for local girls.. or did none of them want to come to Michigan.

that the colder weather states have fewer D1 players per capita. We have a few pockets of talent in the state: K-zoo/Mattawan, GRapids/Hudsonville/Wyoming Rogers, Pinny/Bay CIty/Essexville/Saginaw, and Happy Rock are all good areas. The Jackson, Temperance, Milan area has started to make some noise on the SB scene too.

We had a few local walk ons. Hutch ALWAYS picks up the best players in the state. There is no question about that. You should hear the chatter on the tourney circut about who Hutch is looking at. It is every Michigan Teen Softball Players dream to play for the Block M and Coach Hutch.

Michigan is missing a level of travel softball. The last time I checked, the state had only one gold-level team, which must play gold level tournaments out-of-state. Local kids are at a disadvantage in Michigan, and I don't know which way things are moving. (I waited a few days to post this. Hopefully, only softball people see it.)

You should plan a road-trip to DiMarini next summer. I had hoped Hutch would recruit a shortstop for the other host team, the Chill, a couple of years ago. She hit the leadoff homerun against Traina for Georgia last season, and was being recruited by Northwestern and OSU early on.

Arguably not only the best coach at Michigan but also one of, if not the, greatest softball coaches of all time. I never tire of citing the Ann Arbor News' comment on the 2005 National Title: "What happened during the past five months might be the most unlikely accomplishment in the history of a storied athletics program, analogous to setting out to win an NCAA hockey title at the University of New Mexico. Then doing it." Doing what she's done at Michigan in the face of the massive structural disadvantages a Northern/Midwestern team faces is nothing short of incredible. Great to see another solid class of recruits coming together for the team!